BJP leader arrested for arms cache seized from Dombivli

A BJP officebearer-cum-RSS activist Dhanajay Anant Kulkarni, 49, was arrested after police raided his fashion accessories and cosmetics store and found 170 weapons, air guns, swords and knives, in Dombivli on Tuesday.

The BJP confirmed Kulkarni is the vice-president of the party’s Dombivli unit.

Senior Inspector Sanju John, Kalyan Crime branch, said, “A decoy customer was sent to Tapasya house of fashion, at Tilak Nagar in Dombivli, on Monday night on a tip and caught him redhanded, selling a weapon.”

Investigating officer Sharad Panje said, “He has been using his shop as a cover-up to sell weapons. In the raid, nearly 170 weapons, including eight air guns, 10 swords, 38 press-button knives, 25 choppers, nine kukris, nine guptis (bladed weapon in a wooden case), five knives, three axes and one sickle were seized. The arms were hidden behind clothes.”

Panje added, “The seized weapons are worth 1.86 lakh. The outlet has been in operation for over 15 years, but the illegal arms have been sold for the past two years. During the probe, it was revealed he may have sold scores of weapons.”

Police said Kulkarni is a devout RSS follower and is a bachelor. He had a network to purchase arms, claimed police.

“He would buy arms from Crawford Market in Mumbai, Punjab and Rajasthan,” he said. Since it is an election year, police are probing all aspects. Kulkarni was produced before a local court on Tuesday, which remanded him in judicial custody.

BJP’s Dombivli chief Sanjay Bidwadkar said, “The material seized is antique. There nothing more to it.”